Egyptian Dreams
I first caught sight of true love
In The Valley of The Kings
Where the land water was tainted
Following her crimson and gold
Diamond studded
Scarf
With my new road map
And saw the spot where she waited
By the Niles shore
In the form
Of the gift from the gods
To steal my heart
And infuse herself into its molten core
(C)
Copyright John Duffy
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
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Like an old wounded soul
Returning from waging
a spiritual war
in my own never-ending
version of Armageddon
In the mythical
middle East
Where I eventually subjugated
and slaughtered
my own inner fears
Which paraded around
like a crimson-red beast
I saw you again
my kin
like a surreal beautiful nightingale
In a deep incredible dream
Slowly looking my way
in the bustling crowds
In the Great In-Between
With such exquisite
dark extraordinayy eyes
Such climactic things
I'll reflect upon
Until that final expedition home
That preordained
mournful day
When I'll finally whisper
and softly say
Goodbye Mother Earth
And willingly collapse
to eventually die
We were once
completely heartbroken
outsiders
Lost on life's so
complicated unexplored
wild roads
Just stuck on it's
sad ever-moving fast trains
Seemingly permanently
riding around in
revisited tragic circles
In life's never-ending
falling rain
But with that memory
Of that one glance,
within that one look
I took by chance,
I knew then why I was
continually hooked
We had surreptitiously
found a new hidden hand
signal
To an underground realm
Where we trafficked emotions
mysteriously
And no longer felt lonely
or tainted
Emotions
to help us stop walking
through life feeling
Jaded
like one of the painted
condemned
It must have been fate
or divine Gods
using synchronicity to be kind
For when I saw you
I finally remembered
a long-lost memory
That floated up to that
undulating cerebral cortex
Within my mind
A vision that we were
married together
in another time
Forever deemed
to be just happy
in another lifetime
But sometimes this version
Of life doesn't play fair
and I again
Have to kneel
and blow you
a soft tender kiss
Put some beautiful red roses
on your much-beloved grave
As I remember
all those fateful mistakes
I once unfortunately made
And as I return
from fighting my anxiety
Drinking Southern Comfort
to drown out the stress
On my nightly crusades
I know you'll return
to love me once more
wherever you are
No matter how far
For we'll be both soon reborn
Because this universe
was told to baptize us
to never be apart
And who am I
to judge the great Almighty
The true King of the Graveyard
Who holds all those sacred
secrets
Of the heart?
(C)
Copyright John Duffy
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Shall we begin?
Amongst the murky misty
encroaching images
A surreal scene
the creators of Casablanca
Would have been proud
to call their very own
My new muse
An angel called Calliope
Wandered and appeared
walking like a real siren
Straight into my view
Wearing a stunning
fashionista's white dress
She appeared
right out of the blue
Bent
and with tasty red sweet lips
French kissed me
back into life
Watched by cautious eyes
Who had sent her
to help me get through
Dwellers
Ancestors and spirit guides
Who stood hidden
in the crescent glow
of the Full Strawberry Moon
Which hung high
in the purple-hued sky
Like an unearthly tribute
to mortal pain
Where all those suffering
Made her a seat
and bade her
Welcome into their
bedroom
And in the falling night rain
I now seem to reach out
earnestly to crave her soft touch
As those old emotions
of being alone
Systematically kneel
Submitting
to be slain
My Calliope
came gliding in
Majestically last June
Riding on the backs
of handwritten spiritual
messages
Exchanged through eternal
friends
one glorious day
As they discussed my story
and all it's many open
and well-known wounds
Notes that said I was available
Now I've found freedom
from old sacred vows
of fidelity
Once spoken
In hushed verses
which someone else
had recently foolishly broken
We now stand firmly
upright
Whenever we meet
In straight lines
In new lands of holding
hands whilst we're walking
Enjoying talking
and telling each other
funny stories
Like meeting each other
was foretold to be our calling
At this very moment
as I sit here
By the attic window
by this old Riverside Cafe
In the Parisian winter cold
Looking out in quiet confinement
and contemplating how my once sad life
Suddenly turned to gold
I still in these quiet moments
of soul-searching reflection
Embrace my newly found
harmonious serendipity
And all these treasured moments
and intimate reunions
Where two newly introduced souls
with such effortless proclivity
Merge together
as if guided by a strange sense of
supernatural compatibility
Was I carefully scrutinized
by those Hidden Watchers
I sometimes wonder
Angels
Who stand on blue milk crates
in those black unknown voids
Fluctuating between time and space
Trying to find ingenious strategies
and heavenly constructs
to illuminate
I hope
my much cherished
and treasured face
Who knows
but now I've found a compatible
world
A fascinating realm
replenished endlessly
with laughter
Celebrated and baptized
at midnight by soft wanton lips
Which collide together so passionately
Forever I hope in close proximity
I may never know all the answers
but in scripture
Song of Solomon says
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the Lord.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
Oh, how now it matters
for while I used to be sinking slowly
but surely
In those former dark ominous depths
like a twisted scene
out of Twin Peaks
Sitting drunk and in love
with shrewd old Mother Gin
and her kin
Brother Depression
and her twin sister
Madame Anxiety
All rebellious juveniles
of the dark angel
of which I will not speak
Beneath all those whispering
entities
bringing worldly self-ruminating
illuminations
Are we as human beings
simply all the foolish choices
we make in the low junctures
revealing themselves to us
before dawn
The Witching Hour
When we are weak and spiritually
weary
Forgetting our true selves
and God-given powers
For I now know
with the courage to call forth
the light
Love does call to us all
Even the self-righteous
or the frightened
If we can be brave enough
to open up to embrace
and welcome those who
Watch
and their games of Astral Chess
as we open up our souls
to confess
We must I suppose
after talking to some of Father Times'
much-admired guests
and his many mistresses
As I walk this life and
greet so many of its new
witnesses
Always try to find the strength
to overcome all that hides
scurrying in the darkness
of your mind
Fighting for your attention
Just casually waiting
until the moments right
to maximize your depression
But still beyond this cosmic
ever-swirling dust of reflection
as I still breathe
As my heart beats slower
each day as it now begs and pleads
Whenever I think of her
my new muse
Calliope
My soul's only intimate secret
in a corrupted society
who holds in her soft delicate hands
All my beating
Red Churches keys
Here in this present moment
as each joyous new day
breaks upon the upcoming horizons
Within my mind
as I take a deep breath
and abruptly awake from contemplation
In this silence
I still crave her pure voice
and a little bit of her warm touch
For I know deep down
as my soul for her yells
It will always be forever
For we have gone through a lifetime
in such a short while
Ran through intense miles of pain
and endured and conquered
too much
And it's now why I live in hope
as if caught living under a spell
as I clutch and ring this
metaphorical doorbell
To be welcomed
as just another kindred guest at
The SoulMate Hotel
Well thanks for reading but before I go
Always remember to ask for help because you never know who's watching
Sending love and light and always try to
Look after yourself
(C)
Copyright John Duffy
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
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Salute.
(A lone voice whispers)
Now my life's great party
is over and this Black Hole
I now live within
Ruled over by Father Sin
Which just loves to breathe
me in and out
Like the silver flutes once did
When I used to walk by
and watch the marching Bands
of Manhattan play
Smiling
as the Majorettes
twirled their shiny batons
High in the sky
Oh, what I wouldn't give
in this loud sound of silence
To quieten this startling pain
that still hurts the most
Even though
I'm now just another
lonely ghost
My cherished memories
Of you
Will always be my
Immortal key
Home
As I wait in here
to atone
I used to pray
that I'd wake up free
from this asylum
In the warm arms
of my beloved
but now lost Angel
But no matter
how hard the memories
or even how painful
I'll keep it
as a happy place
Filled with all her love
and photographs
So, I'll just wait here
In a hidden place
found on no handwritten
or drawn maps
Somewhere
Lost
As I flutter
my white flag of defeat
In the cold and hot heat
of The Great In-Between
Lingering
by these bright lights
like I was
walking on the Moon
Kicking up broken
white stones
Singing sad songs
for the hordes
Standing
in the creepy shadows
On these mean streets
Watching me crying
like a wounded King
Come Back
Don't fear us
you won't fall
They all chant
as the Golden Bell rings
The Crying Game
needs feeding
The eleven-inch nails
need pulling out
to stop the bleeding
Stay with us
The Nameless Things
We who whisper and sing
in the Dark
all around you
But all by myself
I'll try to stay alive
Somehow
They can keep their
Poison and Red Wine
Their Civil Wars
Where even gravity falls
Either way
Here is my lone call
You'll always be my reason
My every time
My light in this dark
No matter the seasons
For all my rivers of memories
and worn-out road maps
Interweaved
in my heavy head
and embedded
in my weary heart
Always lead me
Riding in paper boats
Back to you
In this mad mad world
Even though now everything
has fallen apart
Just like us two
A pair of Father Times
many heartbroken
sweethearts
Mon seul espoir dans un monde sombre (My only hope in a dark world)
(C)
Copyright John Duffy
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
A whisper I once heard, talking to me in a deep dream. In the low hours.
++++++++++++++++++++++
We who have lived
and walked for more
than a thousand years
Invisible amongst you all
The ever-growing
and changing masses
Have heard and tried to answer
so many heartfelt prayers
as we were called
Invocations spoken
in the long shadows
When pain
Suffering
Emotional anguish
Or grief suddenly strikes
And convinced many
to try to stay the course
And be part of living
this lifes wonderful dream
Whenever they felt doubtful
As things seemed
to fall apart at the seams
To always remember
No matter how magnetic
The seductive pull
of dark temptations
How green their own grass is
whilst they still live
And have so much more
which to share and give
We've held soft and
hard-working hands
Of the rich or poor
Consoled the young
and old and tried to comfort
So many crying silently
In the painful
mazes of their own darkness
Its unspoken number
is truly unfathomable
We've appeared in many forms
before so many others
In the dark and cold
Sent by the Almighty on High
To try to nurture
and encourage those who cry
Endowing them
with a higher power
to always find the strength
and courage
In rekindling their inner flame
Once lit so long ago
by a sacred candle
As we first heard
and learnt their soul's
secret name
To stand up strong and
be willing and able
For we're indomitable
Angels
sent to bring hope
to the inconsolable
Bringers
of so much inner peace
For God is our strength
and ministry
One that speaks of
everlasting mercy and promise
No matter how dark your worlds
Many changing political landscapes
or forests
My favourite name is
Archangel Gabriel
And
If you find one of my
billions of white feathers
That I sometimes leave
Especially
for those heartbroken souls
who in these sad times
Linked to Covid
Grieve
And need to once again
Be encouraged to believe
That their beloved
is in a better place
So
As you live through your limited
mortal life
Just pick one up
and keep it really close
For it will bring you peace
and tranquillity
Throughout all those morose
long cold winters
or hot summer nights
When you need a new belief
or phenomenon
Whilst seeking to conquer
or accept
Your physical or
mental vulnerabilities
To help you carry on
(And then the voice faded.....)
(C)
Copyright John Duffy
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
In the silence of staring
At a beautiful red luxurious Christmas card
Laying on their once well-loved king-size bed
Then looking coldly ahead
As she paused and slowly remembered
A true love
Who was once so caring
But is now hidden amongst the many sleeping dead
With inscribed headboards made out of marble and stone
In the cemetery
Downtown
Laying forever with a bouquet of white Lillies
For company
On his own
All alone
And as she stared longingly out of that open window
Thinking
Where do the dead possibly go
And to what Kingdom
A sudden gust of wind from her backyard
Blew a white feather
Onto that card
Catching her off guard
And reminding her
The world and all its joys which were once theirs
Which now feels so bitterly hard and unfair
Those incredible smiling ones
Tied together with a golden bow of fun
Before came that card on their bed
All the way from Barcelona in Spain
The one sent
With the rising of the sun
But now filled with pain
Before he flew
In it said
Written in gold and blue
Happy Christmas
To you
My beautiful boo
And see you soon
Get that tree up so snow and happiness can reign
Xxx
But he never arrived
He never came
Instead
He died in a car crash at sunrise
But worry not
This is just a piece of fiction
Just a poetic reminder
That you never know your earthly time
So take this as an open invitation
Filled with a supernatural conviction
Try to be happy before fatality breaks you up
For the world’s not as pretty as it seems
This Christmas
Celebrate it
As if it's your last
If you can
Try not to be like one of the lonely people
Baptized forever to sit staring
By the cruel Gods of the Despairing
No more caring
But bearing a heavy load
Perhaps like Scrooge
Painfully pondering
And always wondering
How long
Will the pain they feel
Linger and last
As they live
Cold
Like one of lifes
Lonely outcasts
(C)
Copyright John Duffy
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
I give you freely
Relationships love and pain
In any order
(5,7,5)
(C)
Copyright John Duffy
Senryū is a Japanese form of short poetry similar to haiku in construction:
three lines with 17 syllables.
Line 1 has 5.
Line 2 has 7.
Line 3 has 5
Senryū tends to be about human emotions while haiku tend to be about nature, and senryū are often cynical or darkly humorous while haiku are more serious.
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
Do we as poets or writers
Seek out and use profound words
To help the sometimes lonely souls
Reading even this
To find a plateau to distract themselves
from the ever-ravenous world
With our divine gift
As they temporarily anchor
their ships
Maybe a world filled with heartache
Abuse
Grief
Depression
Anxiety
Or even sudden death
While the rising Wolf Moon smiles
and watches
As their time and spiritual essences
are endlessly consumed
Are poets and writers
like me or even you
Just the true kings and queens
of the art of
Creatio Ex Nihilo
Because we're so skilled
at making things up
without little fuss
To say hello
So the readers know
That they are not alone
With stories
that can sometimes save
and comfort those
Who needs something emotional
to help carry them
through the low hours
And change their mood
Especially
in the middle of the dawn
or dusk
When old emotions or pain
Can suddenly bloom
like an irremovable wound
Without a sound
By all the Gods
Known to man
Praise be to the Universe
For the answers to all
Those monumental
Questions
Has always been
Yes
(C)
Copyright John Duffy
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
Salute
Oh my
Shirley O'May
My Shirley O'May
I still miss your sweet smile
Today
Today
Caught no more
Than a ray
Than a ray
Standing
By your grave
Is that why
My sky's always grey
Always grey
Oh my
Oh my
Shirley O'May
Shirley O'May
For my soul felt real pain
Today
Real pain today
When it remembered
The sacred vow
We once made
Once made
Under the cherry tree
You and me
You and me
With Father Mckay
Father Mckay
On Valentine's Day
Your birthday
Your birthday
But I guess
If God could confess
Confess
He would say
It's why he made
Memories
Memories
So those you love
Like you and me
Once wed under
The Cherry Tree
The Cherry Tree
So those you love
Stay
And never truly fade
Away
Stay
But never truly fade
Away
Oh my
My beloved
Shirley O'May
I still miss your sweet smile
Even though
It was taken from me
On the 5th of May
On the 5th of May
Everyday
Everyday
For even though
We have memories
Memories
My heart
Will always feel grey
Feel grey
For it will forever miss
The things it loves
When they go away
Away
Like you
Like You
My life's first kiss
My one and only
Beloved
Beloved
Shirley O'May
Shirley O'May
(C)
Copyright John Duffy
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
(A lone voice whispers)
Press play before reading.
Salute.
I've got a deep well
Covered in strange green and golden ivy
Built under a golden glimmering bell
In my garden of deep lucid dreams
Lost somewhere in Morpheus Wonder Grounds
It's a quiet beautiful place
Of total surrender
I sometimes remember
As I lay tenderly in my chamber
A place where my profound Guardian Angel
My eternal
Muse waits
My spiritual queen who brings me
Divine gifts linked to soul-lifting poetry
Always whispering
In my subconscious
Dépêche-toi
Dépêche-toi
Dépêche-toi
(Hurry up.)
(Hurry up.)
(Hurry up.)
Dépêche-toi
As she watches from The Great In-Between
While I play in the real worlds
Many fast-moving streams
Whilst I'm awake and moving around
But when my tired eyes start to
Flicker and quiver
And start to look across at Slumber Down's slow-moving river
She rings that golden magical bell
To summon me to the Talking Bench
So my soul
She may converse with in supernatural
Visions
and multiple forms
And her hungry thirst for company
Quench
Dépêche-toi
Dépêche-toi
Dépêche-toi
Is all I hear
When my tired eyes
Search for Slumber Downs River
Along with
Viens à moi mon amour.
Et laissez-moi vous baptiser avec des visions incroyables, d'en haut.
Car nous possédons la nuit, comme nous nous possédons.
Come to me, my love.
And let me baptize you with incredible visions, from so High Above.
For we own the night like we own each other.
Dépêche-toi
Dépêche-toi
N'ose jamais m'oublier
(Don't you ever dare to forget me )
So who am I
To let angels weep
For can just faintly hear that golden bell ring
Summoning me to The Talking Bench
As she sings
Dépêche-toi
Dépêche-toi
(Hurry up)
(Hurry up)
Et laisse-moi être ton Hélène de Troie
(And let me be your Helen of Troy )
Maintenant, endormez-vous
(Now fall to sleep)
Mon âme sœur et viens dans mon donjon.
(My soul mate and come to my keep)
(C}
Copyright John Duffy
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